Tea bag



A. KELLER Jul 20, 1937.

TEA. BAG

Filed Oct. 16, 1935 INVENTOR. f7 DRE KEL L 5/? 7A ORNEY.

Patented July 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEA BAG Application October 16, 1935, Serial No. 45,216

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tea bags having string attached finger gripping tags, and provides improvements therein.

It has heretofore been proposed to dispose the 5 strings and tags, on the tea bags in a manner to mitigate the entanglement of the string and attached tag of one tea bag with those of others in a package or heap. I

The present invention provides an improved article of the above described character.

The present invention provides an article of the character described in which the string is looped through a small hole in the tag, the arrangement being such that the loop and tag may lie on one and the same side of the tea bag,

so that the tea bags may be stacked or arranged on top of one another with the strings and tags on each bag separated from the strings and tags on bags beneath it, by the bag itself, and

20 thereby the liability of the strings and tags on tea bags in the pile becoming entangled, virtually eliminated.

The invention further provides a tea bag of the character described in which the looped 25 string, by frictional engagement with the walls at the hole, acts to maintain the tag in position on the tea bag against displacement due to the weight of the tag, but which enables the string to be extended for its full length by merely grasping the tag and raising it against the weight of the tea bag. When the tag is raised, the loop will pass through the hole, and such an arrangement enables a person, as a waiter, to use one hand for picking up the tea bag and extending the string for use, while holding a tea-cup or tea-pot in the other hand. The efliciency of service in a restaurant is thereby very considerably increased. a

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated 40 in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a tea bag with the string looped through the tag and occupying a position which these parts have in a package or storage receptacle;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view with the string extended in position for tea-brewing purposes;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing the string looped through the tag;

Fig. 4 is a side view of two tea bags illustrating 50 the position of the tea bags in a pile, and showing how the bag and looped string of one bag is separated from the tag and looped string of another bag.

Referring to said drawing, numeral l0 desig- 5 nates the tea bag, number I! the tag and It the string. The bag l0 may be of any suitable character and of any suitable material. As here shown, it is made of two pieces of loosely woven fabric united at the edges by a multiple thread seam. The string I4 is preferably formed as a continuation of the seam, the needles of the sewing machine forming the thread or threads into a chain of loops of the length required for the length of the string. The string I4 is therefore formed of knitted threads, and has an elasticity and body different from that of an ordinary twisted string. The hole I? in the tag is conveniently formed by a hooked needle" used for drawing the string It in a loop through the tag. The relation of the size of the hole It! to the size of the looped string is such that the friction between the walls of the tag around the hole and the looped elastic string, maintains the tag l2 in position on the string against displacement due to the weight of the tag. Nevertheless the friction is insufficient to prevent the looped string l4 sliding in the hole It! when the tag is grasped by the fingers and lifted against the Weight of the tea bag Hi. When the tag I2 is grasped by the fingers and lifted the loop portion of the string l4 slips through the hole and is extended for its full length, the hole l8 being large enough to allow such action. Thereby the tea bag may be lifted from a pile and transferred to a cup or pot with the string I4 extended for its full length, by a simple one hand manipulation consisting of grasping the tag l2 and lifting it with the bag dangling at the end of the string after the loop has passed through the hole ill in the act of lifting the tea bag.

The hole I8 is preferably formed in the tag adjacent the fastener by which one end of the string M is fastened to the tag, which fastener is preferably located near the edge of the tag. By such a location of the hole l8, the tag l2, and the looped string are passed through the hole therein close a inst the tea bag, with all portions of the tag within, or virtually within the perimeter of the tea bag. The looped string also lies across the face of the tag l2 and within the perimeter of the tea bag. The looped string I4 and the tag l2 both lie on the same side of the tea bag. By arranging the tags and looped strings so that they all face in one direction, the tea bags can be placed in a pile or stack with the strings and tags of each tea bag separated from those of others by the tea bag itself, thereby virtually eliminating all possibility of the string and tag of one tea bag becoming entangled with-the tag and string of another or others.

By looping the string it through the hole in the tag, strain on and enlargement of the 'material of the bag is eliminated, and the tea bag container kept intact. Where the string is passed through the material of the tea bag, the material is torn or enlarged at the holes where the looped string passes through it, and there is an objectionable sifting and escape of the tea leaves from the container.

The invention may receive other embodiments than that herein specifically illustrated and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A tea bag comprising a string and a tag functional as a finger-gripping piece, said string being attached to said bag and to said tag, said tag having in an integral part of its body a small hole, the portion of the string intermediate its ends being looped, and the loop projecting through said hole in the tag and lying alongside said tag and tea bag, whereby entanglement of the string or the tea. bag with the strings of others is 'avoided,'said hole being large enough so that the string can be extended to its full length by the weight of the tea-bag when the tag is grasped and the resiliency of the loop being such as to retain the tag on the looped string against displacement by its own weight.

2. A tea bag according to claim 1, wherein said string is formed of knitted thread and the thickness of the string and the size of the hole are such that there is a slight friction between the knitted string and the sides of the hole suflicient to maintain the tag in position on the looped string against its own weight.

ANDREW KELLER. 

